Tulips and windmills are the tourist symbols of the Netherlands, in contrast, the "Dutch Three Treasures" in the Dutch wooden shoes are slightly less well-known, today Xiaoxin will take you to see the Dutch wooden shoes. In the famous windmill village in the Netherlands, there is a wooden shoe museum, which displays a variety of famous wooden shoes, as small as a pair of shoe key rings, large enough to sleep a pair of baby shoes.
Natural
The so-called water and soil on one side support the other, wooden shoes, like windmills, are the product of the Dutch people adapting to the local natural environment. The Dutch water system is spread throughout the country, with a variety of lakes, rivers and canals running through everywhere, affected by the Warm Atlantic Current, and warm and humid all year round. In addition to the climate, more than half of the Netherlands is below or almost above sea level, and the Netherlands is called the Netherlands in Germanic, meaning "lowland country".
Therefore, in order to stay dry and avoid soaking the feet in water for a long time, the Dutch invented this shoe made of wood as an ingredient. Wooden shoes are not only simple raw materials, cheap to make, moisture-proof and stain-proof, but also play a protective role in labor. The wise working people put straw and other fillings in the shoes to protect them from the cold and make the wooden shoes more comfortable and durable.
Cultural connotations
In addition to being economical and practical, wooden shoes are also full of Dutch cultural connotations. Wooden shoes are a must-have engagement item for the Dutch. Historically, wooden shoes were gifts given by Dutch boys when they confessed to their sweethearts, and they would make a pair of exquisite wooden shoes by hand, and if the girl accepted the wooden shoes, it meant that she loved him. Most of these bridal wooden shoes are exquisitely shaped, with roses, stars and other patterns, expressing the beautiful expectations of young men and women for love.
Blessing expression
With the passage of time, the practical value of Dutch wooden shoes has been greatly reduced, and few people have worn them. Today's wooden shoes are more expressed in the expression of good wishes and love. Round rolling wooden shoes are cute in shape, painted with patterns carved with patterns that can be used as decorations, and can also be used as vases, which are loved by tourists and have become a must-buy souvenir, and the shelves are filled with a variety of bright wooden shoes, waiting for tourists to take home.
In the era without machinery, wooden shoes were handmade. Don't look at wooden shoes that are not big and simple in style, but it is not easy to make them symmetrical by hand. If you want to do some tricks on wooden shoes, it is even more necessary to work hard. Therefore, it is common to make a pair of delicate wooden shoes by hand, which takes a week. In the famous windmill village in the Netherlands, there is a wooden shoe making show every 20 minutes or half an hour.
In the Dutch Wooden Shoe Museum, you can see the richest and most exquisite types of "wooden shoes" in the world. The largest of them is like a wooden boat that can carry dozens of people, and the smaller one can hold 12 pairs in a matchbox. The so-called "wooden shoes" have long exceeded the scope of wood, and there are gold, silver, bronze, aluminum alloys, etc. from the material alone, and even diamonds.
In addition to traditional shapes and patterns, wooden shoes also incorporate many modern design elements, and a pair of shoes made of wood is not "wood" at all in terms of fashion performance. Following the trend of the times to interpret the modern avant-garde is simply handy for Dutch wooden shoes.
Many of today's slip-on shoes are inspired by traditional Dutch wooden shoes, such as the plastic version of the wooden shoe that is popular in the summer. Who would have thought that the style designed in the 14th century is still popular, and sure enough, fashion is a circle!
Wooden shoes are the "national essence" of the Dutch, but also the Netherlands is a very national handicraft, with hundreds of years of history of the Dutch wooden shoes as a folk culture has been rooted in the hearts of the Dutch, if you go to the Netherlands to remove the big windmill and tulips, remember to go to the wooden shoe museum to take a look, feel the cuteness of this round head and round brain